Hainesville votes in police force
Despite a promise last month to take things slow, Hainesville officials decided Tuesday to form its own police department.
The decision came after a heated argument between board members and outrage by residents that led Mayor Ted Mueller to have one person escorted out by police.
"I want to move forward with discussion with whoever it takes to form our own police department," said Trustee Gary Washington. "I'll guarantee you, we'll hire someone to put together a police department for Hainesville that will work."
Trustees Washington, Kevin Barrett and Deborah Lee Bonds voted in favor of the department. Jim Tiffany and Wallace Stilz III dissented.
Mueller gave the board three proposals: to create the village's own police department, contract with the Lake County sheriff's department or contract with the Grayslake Police Department.
Hainesville's eight-year relationship with the Round Lake Park Police Department will end Feb. 10.
Stilz attempted to table the issue at the beginning of the meeting and again when he learned the village was supposed to decide on a Grayslake proposal without meeting with representatives from the Grayslake Police Department.
"We need to put together a committee and get everyone in a room together so we can work this out and get some reasonable numbers," Stilz said. "We have no money, we are not prepared … . "I don't understand why I'm the only one screaming. Is anyone else interested?"
The new department will be housed in village hall, Mueller said. The village doesn't have any plans to renovate the building and will pursue grants to tear down the former village hall and build a police department.
The exact costs to run the department were not clear Tuesday.
Mueller said prospective police chiefs had already been interviewed.
The meeting attracted about 40 residents, many of whom were incensed when several of their questions went unanswered.
"When all this goes south and we are way over budget, do we say good-bye to the police department or do we go to the people and ask them to pay for it?" said resident Wallace Stilz II.
Last month, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran offered Hainesville a contract that included one squad car at a cost of $251,049 for 8.5 hours of coverage per day, $502,098 for 17 hours per day, and $717,669 for 24-hour coverage.
Many Hainesville residents embraced that idea.
"It is ludicrous to consider starting a police department," said resident Nathan Hessenthaler. "The only way possible of saving money for our town while getting the same thing, if not better quality of service would be to go with the Lake County sheriff."
Since 1999, Hainesville has paid Round Lake Park for its police services, but problems arose in late 2006 after Round Lake Park claimed Hainesville was not paying its fair share. The dispute is in litigation.
The pending lawsuit was one thing on the long list of questions and concerns raised by residents.
"We still have a lawsuit with Round Lake Park and my understanding is it could be as high as $500,000," said George Duberstein. "Wouldn't it be prudent not to form our own police until we know how that thing is going to come out?"